Saturday, December 31, 2011

Ciaran and I got engaged last month and are getting married in April 2013! I feel really excited and optimistic about the year ahead. There's going to be lots of saving and planning but there's so much to look forward to!

New years eve is a long night so why not dress up some comfy basics with a splash of gold sparkle? This year we're heading up to Primrose Hill with friends to watch the fireworks across London before swiftly retreating back indoors for parlour games and a wine contest so I'll most likely be sporting wellies followed by slippers rather than the shoes above...still I can dream!

Thursday, December 29, 2011

On Christmas eve Ciaran answered a knock at the front door and came upstairs carrying a huge Fortnum & Mason hamper (rather than the Amazon delivery I was expecting). It was packed with delicious treats including pink champagne truffles, chocolate and macadamia nut biscuits and a Christmas pudding. The truffles are now sadly rather diminished but the rest of the hamper will help us hang onto Christmas a bit longer and brighten up what will no doubt be a wet and cold January (huge thank you to Ciaran's big bro!).

This idea of carrying through the festivities of Christmas into January was partly the reason I decided to bake a Christmas cake this year. After it had been fed with brandy for a few weeks it felt heavy and plump. On Christmas eve I iced it with Marzipan and gave it a quick blast in the oven - turning it a lovely toasted golden colour. This is my kind of cake - rich and hearty, packed full of dried fruit and spices to remind us of the cozyness and comfort of Christmas well into the new year.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Mojitos are dead to me. I have a new favourite cocktail - the Amaretto Sour! If you too a fan of all things almond flavoured then this could be the one for you too. The flavours are strong and simple - the sweet almond taste of amaretto is cut through with fresh lemon juice. The cherry adds a cute pop of colour. Here's how you make it:

Shake up the amaretto and lemon juice with a few ice cubes. Strain into a short glass over fresh ice and garnish with the cherry and lemon twist.

This drink would be perfect to take to a New Years Eve party since the ingredients and apparatus required are minimal. On the other hand I've found that it's also perfect for drinking whilst sitting on the sofa working ones way through the West Wing box set. This is a special pastime unique to the days in between Christmas and New Years Eve.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

A couple of weekends ago I snuggled up on the sofa and made these sweet heart decorations. You can do it to! You'll need some felt, embroidery thread or yarn in a contrasting colour, a tapestry needle and some ribbon. Make a template out of some card and use it to cut out 10 little felt hearts.

Use a blanket stitch to stitch two of the felt hearts together all round the edge.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

I'm listening to THIS lovely carol service on iplayer and enjoying a delicious glass of desert wine (that I thought was red wine when I opened the bottle - woops) and suddenly I feel all Christmassy. When you you put up your Christmas decorations? Ciaran's family traditions dictate that it should be this weekend whilst for me that feels too early - I think next weekend would be better. Now we have a bad cat in the house I'm not sure if we will have a Christmas tree this year. To make up for it I'm going to order some lovely paper garlands and mobiles from this sweet online shop to make up for it - the cat carrying a Christmas pudding is my favourite!